Four-decade magic

The 70s classic-rock band America plays at Sangamon Auditorium, UIS on Friday, June 3. Popular for their first #1 song, A Horse With No Name, the group rose to fame with a string of hits, such as, I Need You, Lonely People and Sister Golden Hair, racking up six certified gold and/or platinum albums and winning a Grammy in 1972 for Best New Artist. Founding members Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell (along with former band member Dan Peek) met in high school in London in the late 1960s. Beckley and Bunnell have been touring and performing ever since — for 40 years.